


Your Art Got Me Here

by tchele



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, Light Angst, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 12:41:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16661321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tchele/pseuds/tchele
Summary: Post 16.07 “Thousand Words” Ellie paints, Nick watches partially inspired by Hellokaelyns "Sketchbook"





	Your Art Got Me Here

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Hellokaelyn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellokaelyn/gifts).



She hadn’t realized how much she missed creating things until Ritz challenged her to pick up a brush again. She had always tended to sketch what was ‘in her head’ ever since she was little. When things were good her art was light and fun, but when things weren’t it took a decidedly dark turn. 

She tried a few times after that night to use her artwork as a release, but all she could picture was him in a partially unzipped body bag in Autopsy. She didn’t want to relive that by drawing or painting it so she gave up trying eventually. She substituted other things for her art, and she had a surprisingly ready and willing partner in crime for these endeavors. In light of his arrest at a Sip ‘n Paint event with Jimmy Palmer he never brought up trying anything involving art.

The night she picked up a brush again was magical. She realized that the image in her head had changed. It was no longer her friend gone too soon or any of the other darkness in her world, it was a pink flamingo. Soon other images followed. She felt lighter and relaxed and she was able to sleep through the night again. 

He noticed something was different, but he hadn’t been able to figure out what it was. He was not someone who could let a mystery go, he wasn’t wired that way. If he was being honest his subconscious wondered if perhaps there was a new man in her life. She hadn’t said anything about dating anyone, which in and of itself didn’t mean anything. She tended to be very private about her relationships, none of them had known about Qasim for months nor did they even suspect, but things were different now. They spent a good bit of their non working hours together these days and he decided that it was unlikely it was a new relationship. However there was still something going on and he was determined to figure it out.

As it turned out he didn’t have to do much digging to find out what she was up to. He arrived at her apartment and knocked on the door. No answer. He knew she was home as her truck was parked out front. Then he remembered she mentioned that she was going to do laundry as soon as she got home so perhaps she was still in the laundry facility. He made his way down the steps to the basement and he found her. 

Her back was turned and he saw she was in the zone. He knew many things about Ellie Bishop and one was you didn’t disturb her when she was in the moment. He made himself comfortable and sat down on the steps to watch her paint. She looked so relaxed yet focused. A walking contradiction, which as he thought about it was a good way to describe her in many ways. Beauty and brains, confident and reserved, the list could go on.

A noise from upstairs pulled her from her little bubble where only she and the paintbrush existed and she looked at her watch. It was later than she thought and she was sure her partner would arrive any minute. As she hurriedly tried to clean up her supplies so she could go get changed she saw him watching. 

“How long have you been there?” She asked.

“Not long. I went to your apartment but you didn’t answer so I came to look for you. Thought maybe you could use some help with your laundry.” He answered. “You paint? I mean I knew you could draw, but I never knew you could do that.”

“Yeah. I hadn’t picked up a brush or even a pencil in months, and then we had that case.” She explained.

“Ritz?” He asked.

She nodded. “She pegged me as an artist and I told her my art and I were on a break. That life had been rough and I hadn’t been able to paint since that night with Clay. She encouraged me to try again. I think her exact words were when life’s good paint, when life goes to hell, paint more. I picked up a brush that night and I’ve been painting here and there ever since.” 

“Can I see some of it?” He asked.

“You really want to?” She said.

“Yeah. I knew something had changed. You were happier, more relaxed. For a minute I thought it was the goat yoga.” He replied with a grin.

She gathered up her supplies and led the way to her apartment. She put the supplies away and came back with a painting.

“The first one I did I gave away, this is the second.” She answered quietly, as she worried her bottom lip. Cautious if she was even ready to show him.

It was a small canvas, but there was no mistaking it was the two of them and Reeves. “B, this is amazing. I didn’t know you could do this.” He said.

“You can have it.” She replied. 

“Really?” He asked.

“Yeah. I think I was always going to give it to you. I just didn’t know how.” She replied.

“It’s amazing. Thanks Ellie.” He said as he wrapped his arms around her.

“You’re welcome. I know you miss him too.” She replied.

“I do, but I miss him less these days. I think I found my outlet, like you found art again.” He said.

“Yeah? What’s that?” She asked.

“Doing crazy things with you. Like goat yoga.” He said with a goofy grin. 

“Thought you didn’t like that, you just couldn’t give up.” She bantered back.

“I couldn’t let Jessica win, but no it wasn’t my favorite thing. We will just have to keep trying new things. We never did try BASE jumping you know.” He replied.

“Well let’s remember that for later. Let me change and we can go to dinner.” She said.

She went in the bedroom, closed the door, and leaned against it for a moment. Things were changing between them and she wasn’t sure what the future held, but the thought of it brought a smile to her face.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven’t abandoned “Come Together” there will be a new chapter soon, but I had to get this out of my system first.


End file.
